Conventional aircrafts may carry large numbers of sensors and actuators. For example, the aircrafts are typically equipped with instruments that can measure outside temperature, speed of the aircraft, outside/inside pressure, humidity, weight of the aircraft, etc. Some measurement sensors (e.g., inside humidity and temperature) and most of the supporting electronics are typically installed inside the aircraft. On the other hand, other measurement sensors typically protrude outside of the aircraft (e.g., pitot tube for the pressure/speed measurements). Additionally, the aircrafts also carry actuators (e.g., for landing gear deployment and retraction, for wing flaps, ice protection systems, etc.). These actuators are generally bulky and, when not exercised, are typically concealed within the aircraft. Some other sensing/actuation aerospace systems perform monitoring for the structures, ice protection, thermal management, vibration damping, etc.
However, the available space for the instruments and their supporting electronics is generally reduced in the newer, smaller aircraft. For example, small drones may not have enough space to carry all the actuators and sensors, and the supporting electronics. Similar problems exist with the newer manned aircraft, because those are also smaller at least in part due to stronger materials used for these aircraft that, in turn, enable smaller aircraft.
Furthermore, additional instruments/sensors may measure, for example, loading of the aircraft structure, especially during the development of the aircraft (Testing and Evaluation or T&E). For example, strain sensors may be mounted on the load bearing parts of the aircraft structure during the testing of the aircraft, but the production aircraft would not include these strain sensors. Existing methods for assessment/management of the structural health, certification of flight readiness and fleet management are largely based on statistical data about the history of the aircraft, and depend heavily on the expertise of mechanics and engineers. Accordingly, there remains a need for the sensors and actuators that are compact, light, and inexpensive, and that can be used for the manned and unmanned aircraft.